Allergic Reactions

Allergic reactions are often more important than the toxic effects of arthropod venoms. Of individuals who die from arthropod venoms, 96% had an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions are classified according to the severity:

General reaction: a slight general reaction, plus two or more of the following symptoms: swelling, wheezing, abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.

Severe general reaction: any of the above, plus two or more of the following: difficulty in breathing, difficulty in swallowing, hoarseness, confusion, or feeling of impending disaster.

Shock reaction: any of the above, plus two or more of the following: cyanosis (blue coloration of skin and lips from lack of oxygen), fall in blood pressure, collapse, unconsciousness, or incontinence.

Insect stings result in rapid progression of toxic effects. Death can occur within one hour after the person has been stung by a Hymenopteran (bees, fire ants, wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets). Spider bites, however, have a longer time interval between bites and death, with victims dying more than 12 hours after being bitten. Statistics also reveal that of snakebite fatalities, death occurs one to 12 hours after being bitten, and there also have been a larger number of snake bite fatalities in which death occurs 12 hours to two days after a snake bite.

What to Do

Insect stings require quick, prompt action.

If possible, the causative organism must be captured, saved, and identified.

If a general allergic reaction is suspected, or the victim has a history of hay fever, allergy, or asthma, a doctor should be contacted immediately.

Venom that is hemolytic, hemorrhagic or vesicating can cause marked swelling or discoloration at the sting or bite site. Keep the victim warm and quiet until a physician is reached.

Venom that is neurotoxic can cause little or no swelling or discoloration at the sting or bite site. Apply ice to the site or immerse the affected part of body in ice water until a physician is reached.

Persons who have exhibited a severe allergic reaction in the past to arthropod venoms or have a history of asthma, hay fever or allergies should:

Some Common Venomous Arthropods

Pertinent information on common venomous arthropods is in Table 1.

Bees

Bees are often confused with wasps. Although closely related, they differ in many ways. Bees feed pollen and nectar to their young. They are beneficial insects that pollinate fruits, vegetables, and many other plants. The most common bees are the honey bee (Figure 1), bumble bee (Figure 2), and carpenter bee (Figure 3). Bees are not commonly serious problems and usually require no control.

When stung by a honey bee, scrape the bee’s stinger out of the wound immediately. Be careful not to pull it out. If you do you may squeeze the venom gland attached to the stinger, which will force poison into the wound. Pull the stinger out by grabbing the base of the stinger below the poison gland. If the stinger is not removed, the poison gland attached to the stinger will continue to pump poison into the wound for several minutes. Unlike wasps and other bees that do not leave a stinger and are capable of stinging many times, the honey bee leaves the stinger and part of its organs attached to the stung animal. In spring and early summer, honey bee colonies divide by swarming. Swarms are not usually a problem unless they land in an inconvenient spot or enter a building. A honey bee colony in a building must be removed after it has been killed to prevent problems from odors of decaying bees, honey, and other pests.

If a bee swarm is undesirable in trees (Figure 4), shrubbery, or buildings, you may wish to contact a beekeeper, county agent, or pest-control company for information on how to remove or kill the bees. Insecticide dusts are effective for killing bee colonies in buildings. Dusts may be applied for effective control. To control bees:

Locate the colony in the wall at night by tapping and listening for the area of loudest buzzing. Bees keep the nest at 95°F, so you may be able to feel the heat through the wall.

At night, drill a small hole in the wall above the colony and apply dust through it or apply dust to honey bee colony entrance.

Seal all entrances and exits from the colony.

After two weeks or when all sound and bee activity has stopped, open the wall and remove dead bees, comb, and honey.

Bury the comb or otherwise dispose of it, so valuable honey bee colonies will not be attracted to the contaminated residue and be destroyed.

Figure 1.

Honey bee.

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Figure 2.

Bumble bee.

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Figure 3.

Carpenter bee.

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Figure 4.

Honey bee swarm in tree.

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Wasps

They are generally considered to be beneficial because they attack and destroy many harmful insects found around homes and gardens. Hornets and yellow jackets kill such pests as house flies, blow flies, and various caterpillars. Paper wasps are predators of corn earworms, armyworms and many other garden pests. Though beneficial, wasps also attack people. If disturbed, hornets, yellow jackets, and paper wasps will sting. Mud daubers and cicada killers usually are not as aggressive and will not sting unless touched or accidentally caught in clothing.

Wasps can usually be identified by their nests and their location. Hornets, paper wasps, and mud daubers build nests above the ground. Hornets and paper wasps nest in trees, shrubber,y and under eaves. Mud daubers nest under eaves, porch roofs, or similar sheltered areas. Yellow jackets usually build their nests in the ground, but sometimes build them above the ground. Underground yellow jacket nests can be very large and can be very well hidden. Cicada killers nest in the ground. If wasps build nests on houses or in bushes where children play or other activities are carried on, nest destruction or chemical control is necessary.

Hornets, yellow jackets, and paper wasps are social insects, and their colonies develop in a similar way. Adult females make up two castes: queens, or fertile females that lay eggs, and workers, or sterile females that feed larvae and may lay eggs without mating if the queen dies during the season. In the fall, queens and males leave the nest and mate. The males die, and the surviving queens hibernate in cracks of rocks, under bark of trees, in buildings, or in the ground. In the spring the queen comes out of hibernation and builds a nest with a few shallow cells. An egg is laid in each cell, and these hatch into worker larvae in two to three days. The queen feeds these larvae, which develop in 12 to 18 days, spin cocoon caps over the cells, and change into pupae. After the first brood emerges, the queen resumes egg laying. The workers take charge of the nest, enlarging it and caring for the new larvae.

Mud daubers are solitary wasps. Each female constructs a clump of mud cells. There is no worker caste. In the spring, young adults come out of their nests and mate. The females then build mud-cell nests. After she completes the nest she captures about 20 spiders, paralyzing each with her sting as she catches it. Spiders are stored in the cell, and she lays an egg on one of the spiders and caps the cell with clay. This is repeated until she has built one nest containing six to 20 cells. She may then build other nests in other locations. Once a nest is finished, she leaves it and never returns. The larvae hatch from the eggs and feed on the paralyzed spiders. Complete development takes place in the cell. One to three generations can develop in a year.

The cicada killer is also a solitary wasp. Its habits are similar to the mud dauber, except it constructs its cells in the soil and provisions the cells with cicadas.

When a wasp stings, it injects a venomous fluid under the skin. The venom causes a painful swelling that may last several days. In some cases, a wasp sting may cause severe illness or even death.

Figure 5.

Yellow jacket.

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Figure 6.

Polistes, paper wasp.

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Figure 7.

Mud dauber wasp.

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Figure 8.

Cicada killer.

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Figure 9.

Hornet nest.

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Figure 10.

Vespula wasp nest.

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Control

Wasps can be easily controlled by applying insecticides to the nest. However, there is usually a certain amount of risk. Nests should be treated at night to minimize the danger of being stung, or protective clothing should be worn. Whatever spray is used, it should have a quick knockdown agent such as synergized pyrethrum or pyrethroids mixed with it.

Control Procedures

For below-ground nests, locate the nest and mark the area so it is easy to find after dark. Use a flashlight covered with a red cellophane paper so wasps stay in their nest. At night, puff dusts into the nest entrance, and immediately throw a shovelful of moist soil over the entrance. Be careful not to step into the nest. For aerial nests, spray nests with pressurized containers with a pin-stream spray from a distance of 20 feet. Indoor wasp nests should be controlled as honey bee colonies.

Scorpions

Scorpions (Figure 11) are flattened, crablike animals having 10 legs and a fleshy tail ending in an enlarged, upturned tip that bears a stinger. They vary in size from 1 to 4 inches long. They normally live outdoors, though they will invade homes and buildings. Scorpions will sting, but usually only when provoked or disturbed. Scorpion venom is a neurotoxin, but the dose injected usually is insufficient to prove fatal to an adult human. None of the several species of scorpions that occur in Florida is capable of inflicting a lethal sting. However, the site of the sting may be sore and swollen for some time.

Scorpions are most active at night. They hide under boards, rubbish, or similar debris that provides shelter and protection. Places commonly infested in a home are under the house or in the attic. They feed on insects, spiders, or similar small animal life.

Scorpions have a long life cycle, lasting three to five years. Males and females go through a courtship ritual prior to mating. Scorpions do not lay eggs, and the young are born alive. After birth the young scorpions climb on the back of the mother and remain there until after their first molt. Scorpions are cannibalistic and readily eat their own species. Females often eat their own young.

Figure 11.

Scorpion.

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Control

Mechanically destroy any scorpions found indoors by swatting or crushing. Clean out all possible hiding places. Hiding or breeding areas can be treated with sprays. Ducks and chickens will eliminate most scorpions from around a building. During dry weather scorpions can be attracted and trapped by spreading moist burlap on the ground around infested areas.

Spiders

Almost all spiders in Florida are harmless to man. Most species do not bite unless provoked to attack. The widow spiders, primarily the brown widow, the southern black widow, and the northern black widow, are the most frequently found venomous spiders. See the chapter “Venomous Spiders” for more information.

Fire Ants

Fire ants look like ordinary house ants. However, they are aggressive and capable of inflicting a painful sting. The colony of imported fire ants lives in a mound sometimes 3 feet across. See the fact sheet “Imported Fire Ants on Turf” for more information. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh059

Velvet Ant

Velvet ants (Figure 12) belong to a large family, Mutillidae, and are wingless, antlike wasps. The females are solitary with an efficient, large stinger. Most species are parasitic on solitary bees and wasp species.

Humans are usually stung by velvet ants when the female is accidentally stepped on with bare feet or trapped against the body in clothing or bedding. Since the velvet ant is solitary and roaming, control is difficult.

Figure 12.

Velvet ant.

Credit:

James Castner, University of Florida

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Wheel Bug

The wheel bug (Figure 13) is a predaceous bug with a coglike crest on its thorax. They feed on insects; however, humans are bitten by accidental contact. The bug penetrates the skin with its beak and injects a salivary fluid used to kill its prey. The fluid causes an immediate intense pain that lasts three to six hours. The best way to prevent wheel bug bites is to avoid the insect.

Figure 13.

Wheel bug.

Credit:

James Castner, University of Florida

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Blister Beetles

Blister beetles (Figure 14) are narrow beetles with a neck that is more slender than the head and wings. Adult beetles can release a fluid that causes blisters on human skin. The larvae of blister beetles are harmless to man and are predaceous on other insects. The adult beetles feed on foliage, and persons often come into contact when moving through infested vegetation. The only suitable control of blister beetles is avoidance of individual beetles or chemical application to crop plants. It is necessary to check recommendations for the crop to determine the chemical to be used.

Figure 14.

Blister beetle.

Credit:

John Capinera, University of Florida

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Stinging Caterpillars

Stinging caterpillars frequently found in Florida are the puss caterpillar, saddleback caterpillar, Io moth caterpillar, and the hag moth caterpillar. These caterpillars feed on vegetation and have spines that can break off in the skin. When the spines break, a toxin flows from the spines onto the skin, causing a burning sensation. When working in an infested area, wear protective clothing. See the chapter “Stinging and Venomous Caterpillars” for more information. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in014

Tables

Summary of Important Stinging Arthropods.

Summary of Important Stinging Arthropods.

PEST

DESCRIPTION

NEST

BITING OR STINGING ABILITY

Honey Bee

2/3 inch; yellow and black or brown, body covered with hairs.

Made of wax cells, found in wall voids or under slab foundations.

Yes

Bumble Bee

1 inch; black and yellow body covered with hair.

Made of wax cells, below ground, under slabs, in wall voids.

Yes

Hornets and Yellow Jackets

3/4 inch; black with yellow or white markings.

Made of papery material. Nests either aerial or below ground or both. Nests large and globular.

Yes

Paper Wasp

3/4 - 1 inch; black or brown with red and a few small yellow markings.

Made of papery material. One circular comb of cells opening downward commonly under eaves or window ledges.

Brown recluse and widow spiders are the only dangerous species. Other species are not considered dangerous.

Brown Recluse

Brown with fiddlelike mark on cephalothorax, 6 eyes.

Found in houses, on floor or hiding in furniture.

Yes. Not found in Florida.

Black Widow

Black with red hourglass mark on underside of abdomen, 8 eyes.

Under rocks, in fields, along fence lines, and other material on soil.

Yes

Fire Ants

1/16 - 1/4 inch, yellowish to dark red with stinger on end of abdomen.

Mounds 3 - 36 in. high tall, with surrounding vegetation undisturbed.

Yes

Wheel Bug

1 - 1 1/2 inches, coglike wheel on top of thorax.

Solitary, occur in vegetation and debris.

Bite only when handled.

Blister Beetle

1/2 - 3/4 inch; thorax narrower than head or wings.

Solitary.

Secretes an irritating substance when disturbed.

Stinging Caterpillars

Io Moth

Buck Moth

Puss Moth

Saddleback

Slug Moth

Appearance depends on species; usually have long and short hairs. Usually easily identified by color and markings.

Solitary; occur in vegetation and debris.

Hollow hairs with poison sac. Sharp hairs penetrate skin.

Velvet Ant

1/2 - 1 inch; wingless;

antlike, covered with hair, bright red, orange, or yellow.

Solitary on ground.

Sting only when handled or trapped.

Footnotes

1.

This document is ENY-215 (IG099), one of a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Publication date October 1994. Revised October 2013. Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS Extension. does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication do not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition. Use pesticides safely. Read and follow directions on the manufacturer's label.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county's UF/IFAS Extension office.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.